Internal-combustion engine



July 4, 1944. w, GRAVES 2,352,891

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 1, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor VV/W/am (/7 V65 1;) W

July 4, 1944. w. A. GRAVES INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGfNE Filed July 1. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w l m U H I /'//Z /77 fl Gem was "1' W W ll," ,1" Aryan/e Patented July 4, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE William A. Graves, Lomita, Calif. Application July 1, 1942, Serial No. 449,366

3 Claims.

and maintain in operation and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 3 is a'transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the engine with the piston in its upper position.

Figure 5 is a detail of the spring means for releasing the dog of the valvecontrol mechanism, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the lCl. 60-44) the tube II also being formed with piston or packing rings l6.

Between the upper and lower portions of the piston member i3 is an external shoulder 11 against which the lower end of a coil spring ll abuts, the upper end of the spring engaging the lower edge of the cylinder 5 for yieldably urging the piston outwardly of the cylinder.

The upper portion of the piston 13 isiormed with a longitudinally extending bore l9 having a valve guide 20 therein within which is slidably mounted the stem 21 of a valve 22, the valve seating on the lower end of the bore 19 to close the same. A coil spring 23 is positioned in the upper portion of the bore IS with the upper end of the spring engaging a pin 24 carried by the valve stem and the lower end of the spring engaging the guide 20'to yieldably urge the valve in a closed position.

The upper end of the valve stem 2| projects upwardly above the piston 13 for engaging the plate 9 in the top of the cylinder 5 to open the valve 22 upon a compression stroke of the piston I3 in a manner as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 2 of the drawings.

A lining 25 is fitted in the tube H of heat-resisting material, the upper end of the lining bepivoted levers forming part of said valve mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration 1 have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates an engine cylinder having a fuel feed pipe 6 connected to one end and leading to a suitable source of fuel supply, such as, for instance, a carburetor (not shown), the inner end of the pipe 6 having a ball check valve 1 adapted to seat thereon, the ball being retained in a cage structure 8 formed in the end of the cylinder and including a plate 9- through which passages l0 extend into the cage for communication with the pipe 6.

Atube II is secured in longitudinally spaced relation from the other end of the cylinder 5 by means of a plurality of bars 12 and positioned be-' tween the cylinder and the tube is a piston member 13 having one end working in the cylinder 5 and provided with piston rings II and having its other end formed with a cylinder I5 working over the adjacent end of the tube 1 I, the inner end of ing formed with a valve seat 26 with which a ball valve 21 is engageable for closing passage through the lining 25 of the tube II.

The valve 21 is positioned in the upper end of the tube H and is adapted for movement into open position by a plurality of. rods 28 slidably mounted between the tube and the upper portion of the lining 25, the lower ends of the rods being engageable by the inner ends of levers 29 pivoted as at 30 in lateral openings 31 in the sides of the tube II.

The outer end of the lever 29 is provided with an adjusting screw 32 in the path of downward movement of the lower fin or flange 33 on the bottom of the cylinder 15 and the inner ends of the-levers engage the rods 28 to raise the rods and unseat the valve 21 as the piston 13 approaches the limit of its downward movement.

The valve 21 is held open during initial upward movement of the piston l3 by dogs 34 pivoted at their upper ends by pins 35 .on the bars l2 and provided with a spring 36 urging the lower ends of the dogs into a position engaging the outer ends of the levers to prevent upward movement thereof. Cam humps 31 are formed on the inner edges of the dogs engageable by the flange 33 of the cylinder portion 15 of the piston to move the dogsoutwardly for releasing the levers upon the approach of the piston to its uppermost position and thus permit closing of the valve 21.

In the operation of the device the piston I3 is manually moved upwardly into cylinder 6 compressing spring I8 and closing valve 8. When the top of this stroke is reached the protruding upper end of valve stem 2| strikes the plate I releasing the compression into cylinder I! at the ,lower portion of the piston ll. Spring it forces piston l3 downwardly, spring 23 closing valve 22.

This creates a vacuum in cylinder 5 opening valve 7 and drawing a mixture of vaporized fuel and air from the carburetor into cylinder 5. This manual operation of the piston continues until there is sufficient fuel mixture in the cylinder 15 to permit explosion to take place by a spark plug 3| mounted in the cylinder 16. Operation is then continuous.

n the down stroke of piston l3 cylinder l6 telescopes over the upper end of tube II. The valve 21 is closed at this time and valve 22 also being closed compresses the fuel mixture in cylinder l5. Valve 21 is opened just before the downward stroke is completed. The flange 33 of cylinder I strikes levers 29 which raises rods 28 upwardly and opens valve 21. At the bottom of this stroke ignition occurs, the products of combustion escaping outwardly of the reduced lining and the force of the explosion also moves cylinder l5 and piston l3 upwardly to begin another cycle of operation.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

1. An engine of the class described comprising a stationary cylinder having a fuel intake, a stationary tube, means connectng the cylinder and tube in spaced apart axial alignment, a hollow piston working in the cylinder, 2. second cylinder carried by the piston and arranged in telescoping relation over the tube, a valve in the piston controlling communication between the cylinders, a valve in the tube closed by compression in the second cylinder, a lever pivoted on the tube a rod slidably mounted in the tube, one end of the rod being operatively engaged by the lever and the other end of the rod engaging the last-named valve for opening the latter, said lever being arranged for actuation by the piston upon a preand ignition trolling communication between the cylinders, a I

valve in the tube closed by compression in the second cylinder, a lever pivoted on the tubeya rod slidably mounted in the tube, one end of the rod being operatively engaged by the lever and the other end of the rod engaging the last-named valve for opening the latter, said lever being arranged for actuation by the piston during one stroke of the piston, means controlled by the action of the piston for holding the lever inactive with the said last-named valve in an open position during an opposite stroke of the piston, and ignition means for the second cylinder.

3. An engine of the class described comprising a stationary cylinder having a fuel intake, a stationary tube, means connecting the cylinder and tube in spaced apart axial alignment, a hollow piston working in the cylinder, a second cylinder carried by the piston and arranged in telescoping relation over the tube, a valve in the piston controlling communication between the cylinders, a valve in the tube closed by compression in the second cylinder, a lever pivoted on the tube, a rod slidably mounted in the tube, one end of the rod being operatively engaged by the lever and the other end of the rod engaging the last-named valve for opening the latter, said lever being arranged for actuation by the piston during one stroke of the piston, a dog pivoted on the firstnamed means and engaging the lever for holding the latter inactive with the said last-named valve in an open position during an opposite stroke of the piston, said dog being released by a predetermined movement of the piston, and ignition means for the second cylinder.

\ WILLIAMv A. GRAVES. 

